Bailroad-switch



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES M. DICK, OF BUFFALO, NEV YORK.

RAILROAD-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 10,058, dated September 27, 1858.

To aM w/zom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, JAMES M. DICK, of Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented a new and lmproved BailroadvSwitch; and l do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l, is a plan or top view of my improved switch. Fig. 2, is a longitudinal vertical section of same, taken at the line, X-K, Fig. l. Fig. 3, is a transverse vertical section of same, taken at the line, Y, Y, Fig. l. Fig. 4, is also a transverse vertical section of same, taken at the line, Z, Z, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts, in each of the several figures.

rlhe nature of my invention consists in the construction of the sliding bar F to which the ends of the switch rails are attached, with depending flanges or side plates inclosing the slide and the cross piece upon which it works for the purpose of affording an effectual and certain protection against gravel, dirt, snow, rain, sleet, ice, and other foreign substances which might otherwise enter between them and interfere with the operation of the switch.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction, and the manner in which it is operated.

rA, represents the rails of a direct track, B and C represent the rails of branch tracks; and D, are the short movable rails which connect with either of the above tracks.

The movable rails are connected, at one end, by pivots, to the sleeper E, and in line with the direct track, A; the opposite ends of the movable rails are connected, by pivots, (c), to the slide or movable sleeper, F.

rEhe slide or movable sleeper, F, rests upon a cross-piece, G; and flanches or projections, (c), attached to the slide, pass down on each side of the cross-piece, as seen in Fig. 2; these tlanches keep the slide properly on the cross-piece, which affords a firm and broad bearing, and is at the same time protected by the slide from accident or obstruction arising from, ice, snow, or falling earth.

H, Figs. l and e, is a lever, by which the slide, F, is moved, and the movable rails, D, put in line with either of the branch tracks, B, C.

l, l', are elliptic springs, one placed at each end of the slide; and J, is a stop, attached to the lever K, which lever, K, has its fulcrum at, (f), and is attached, by a pivot, (g), to the connecting bar, L; and the connecting bar, L, is attached to a lever, M, having its fulcrum at, (7L), and similar to the lever, K. Both levers, K, M, project upward, a short distance above the rails.

There are two recesses, (CZ), (e), see Fig. 4, in the slide F, in which the stop? J, fits. Then the stop, J, is in the recess, (ci), the short movable rails, D, are in line with the branch rails, B; and, when the stop is in the recess, (e), the short movable rails are in line with the branch rails, C; see Fig. l. The stop, J, is forced into the recesses, by the spring, N, which acts upon the lever M; see Figs. l and 2.

O, Ol, are guards, attached by a pivot, (i), to one side of the slide, F and P, is a lever, having two vertical pins or projections, (jl), upon it. The lever, P, has its fulcrum at, (7c) by raising or depressing the end of the lever, P, the pins (j), (jl), will act upon the guards, and elevate them, so that the slide, F, may be moved.

The guards prevent the slide from being moved accidentally.

Operation: Suppose that the short movable rails, D, are in line with the direct track, A; and it is desired to move them in line with the branch track, B. The end of the lever, P, is depressed by an attendant; and the pin, (jl) throws up the guard, Ol; and, by drawing outward the top of the lever, H, the slide, F, is moved along, until the stop, J, is thrown into the recess, (d), by the spring, N. While in this position, the movable rails, D, are in line with the direct rails, A, and branch rails, B, and secured in that position by the stop, J. Now, when a train of cars passes from the branch track, B, upon the direct track, A, the car-wheels will depress the lever, M; and the stop, J, will consequently be withdrawn from the re* cess, (cl) and the elliptic spring, Il, which was compressed, when the slide, F, was

moved, will, by expanding, throw the slide, F, back to its original posit-ion; and the movable rails, D, will be again in line with the direct track, A.

The same operation is performed, when the movable rails are in line with the branch rails', C; only the slide, F, is moved in an opposite direction, and the stop, J, fits in t-he recess, (e).

In case the movable rails, D, are set in line with either of the branch tracks, and -a train is passing along on the direct track, in either direction, the movable rails will be brought in line with the direct track, as soon as the wheels depress either of the levers, K, M.

I do not claim the levers, springs, bolts or connecting rods, Neither do I claim of itself the employment of a, sliding bar connected to the switch. But

Vhat I do claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The construction of the slide F with the depending flanges or side plates C which inclose the slide and cross piece upon which it works, and afford a certain and eective protection against gravel, dirt, snow, sleet, ice, and other foreign substances which might otherwise enter between them and derange the operation of the switch.

JAMES M. DICK.

Witnesses:

MYRTLE l/VATTLES, FREDK. OLIVER. 

